Massage parlor murder case moves forward after judge finds sufficient evidence - Daily Democrat

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A Yolo Superior Court Judge found that there is sufficient evidence uphold charges against 27-year-old Rohail Sarwar, who is accused of murdering a woman at a Woodland massage parlor last month.

Four witnesses took the stand during Monday’s preliminary hearing in front of Judge Janene Beronio to describe the incident that took place the night of Aug. 21 at Cottonwood Massage, located directly west of DJ’s Jewelry store inside a shopping complex.

According to Woodland Police Department Detective Tamara Pelle, a call came in around 5:45 p.m. about an unconscious body found in the hallway. Officers and first responders arrived to find the victim — Junying Lu, a 51-year-old Sacramento resident — laying in front of the hallway’s dryer, located left to the business’s rear exit. Blood was found to have covered most of the washroom that’s located to the right of the exit, which is where the attack was presumed to happen due to the stab marks on the door’s trim.

An autopsy report taken the following day found several stab wounds to the top of the skull, shoulder blade, chest and abdomen. Laceration marks were visible on the left side of Lu’s face and the bottom of her thumb between the two fingers, possibly as a result of a defensive move, said Pelle.

Possible causes of death were a punctured lung, a sliced vena cava vein and a cracked skull all from stabbings, Pelle explained.

Coroners also discovered the tip of the pocket knife blade that was used as the murder weapon lodged in Lu’s skull upon further inspection.

The knife was later discovered and reported by the business owner on Aug. 25, which was found behind the washing machine located in the same washroom where the murder took place.

Detectives also found two dark hairs on the massage table that was used prior to the incident, both visually matching those of Sarwar’s. The strands have been sent to forensics for analysis, according to Pelle.

Detective Joshua Amoruso was able to collect video surveillance and talk to employees from neighboring businesses. According to his investigation, Sarwar walked into Bob’s Liquor — located west of Cottonwood Massage — at around 3:42 p.m. to purchase alcohol and a pocket knife, eventually used as the murder weapon.

Sarwar went into Cottonwood Massage at 3:55 p.m. and left nearly a half hour later. He walked back in at 4:35 p.m. after watching a customer leave and stayed until 5:24 p.m. when he left and headed south across West Cross Street. It is presumed by detectives that the murder took place during his second visit that afternoon.

The business’ owner, Shufan Xuan, told police that Sarwar regularly visited since June and asked for sex, according to Woodland Police Detective Benjamin Yen, who also testified on Monday. Xuan had a previous incident with him three weeks prior when Sarwar choked and fondled her when she denied sexual favors during a massage session but eventually stopped after Xuan’s repeated threats of calling the police.

Xuan later discovered that Sarwar urinated on the towel used during the massage, to which she and Lu nicknamed him the “pee guy” and blacklisted him from the establishment.

Xuan last spoke to Lu at 4:37 p.m., he explained. Yen indicated that Lu called Xuan after the “pee guy” refused to leave when asked. Despite disapproval from her boss, Lu offered to give Sarwar a massage “so he can eventually leave,” Yen said.

The murder ultimately occurred after the massage took place, when Lu refused sex once again.

Detectives found the same clothes he was seen wearing on surveillance cameras during a search two days after at his residence. The pants, shirt and sandals all had stains that resembled dried blood.

Sarwar will be arraigned at Yolo Superior Court at 10 a.m. on Oct. 5 in Department 13.

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